The State Acceptance Council of Hydropower Projects on Thursday approved the completion of Son La hydropower plant, a project of national importance which was originally expected to be completed in 2015, the government said on its website (chinhphu.vn).

The hydropower project, the largest in Southeast Asia, has six turbines with a combined generation capacity of 2,400 megawatts.

Construction of this project began in 2005 and its first turbine began generating electricity for the national grid in 2010. The last turbine connected to the grid on September 26 this year, two months before work on the plant was finished.

The plant since December 2010 has provided nearly 13 billion kWh of electricity.

Minister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung on behalf of the council on Thursday announced that this hydropower plant has met technical standards for operation.

These turbines have been running for over 8,000 hours without a single glitch reported.